Poll: How smart do you think you are?

[Sabiancym]

I'll take the guy with 5 years experience in the field over the newly graduated bachelor degree wielding rookie any day.

So does everyone else, which is why a swathe of graduates is unemployed unless they have PhD's.

What do you base that on? Almost any decent job out there lists some sort of college degree in it's requirements. Everything white collar, and increasingly more blue collar jobs now require a $20,000 piece of paper. A ton of new hires are college graduates, the reason we're seeing so many unemployed newly graduated individuals is because of the massive influx of people with the same exact degree. The economy plays a role too, but who do you hire when you get 100 applications, all with the same "Business" degree?

Thanks for the singling out for ridicule that came with the rest of your post. Really made me feel special.

 

[rutger5000]

way above average compared to americans.
way below average compared to pretty much the rest of the world.
I'm not exactly sure where that leaves me.

Probably still pretty darn stupid

 

[Colour Scientist]

I have an IQ of 174 so I am actualy very far above average. Yay me!

You do know that the standard IQ test only goes up to 160? And that I believe only Stephan Fry has that level. With Hawking at about 158.

Besides someone with an IQ that high is probably really good with a rubik's cube but not to be trusted with scissors.

 

[electric_warrior]

You do know that the standard IQ test only goes up to 160? And that I believe only Stephan Fry has that level. With Hawking at about 158.

Stephen Fry is not the smartest person ever, not would he claim to be so. I don't know where you got that from.

I think, and don't quote me on this, that there are two types of IQ test- one that, like you said, goes up to 160 and another that has no upper limit. I think the highest ever was MArilyn vos Savant, who got 225 or something like that.

 

[trollnystan]

Average, with perhaps potential for above average. I think I'm steadily becoming dumber though.

I didn't do well in school but that's because I tended to skip school altogether to stare at a wall for a few hours. I was kinda depressed at the time. <--(understatement)

Still don't do well but let's keep this from becoming a whinge-a-ton...

 

[Condor219]

I don't know if being in the top 1% in math and science and reading and top .01% in science fair projects in the state (last year, anyway) counts for anything, but I think I'm a notch or two above average.

Yeah, that was an arrogant statement. But I assume to be an Astrophysicist your mind has to be a well-oiled machine, and I've not hit any snags on that path so far.

 

[Ekonk]

I ain't fillin' in this poll because I think it shouldn't be important. Yeah, I did an IQ test, and newsflash for you: your IQ indicates absolutely nothing besides how good you are at IQ tests.

Intelligence is immeasurable and overrated as a standalone thing. It's about what you do with that intelligence, wether the beneficiaries are mankind as a whole (say, you invent anti-matter drives) or you as a person (you figure out what makes you happy).

Claiming that you're smart because you have a high IQ or heck, claiming that you're smart at ALL is nothing but absolute masturbation.

 

[Gigano]

I certainly hope for the sake of the university students I'll teach next semester that I'm above average...

Never did take any IQ tests though. But intelligence is of little use if you don't have the common sense - and the opportunities - to actively make good use of it anyway. A diamond left uncut will never shine.

 

[AnnaIME]

I consider myself to be pretty ignorant; thus I postulate it is not I who is "above average", it is the average man who is subpar.

I did one of those national things a bunch of years ago and scored in the top 1,4%. This is not because I'm brilliant, it's because the majority was below average that day.

No, maths is not my strongest subject, why do you ask?

Brilliance is a subjective state of mind.

 

[SckizoBoy]

What do you base that on? Almost any decent job out there lists some sort of college degree in it's requirements. Everything white collar, and increasingly more blue collar jobs now require a $20,000 piece of paper. A ton of new hires are college graduates, the reason we're seeing so many unemployed newly graduated individuals is because of the massive influx of people with the same exact degree. The economy plays a role too, but who do you hire when you get 100 applications, all with the same "Business" degree?

Thanks for the singling out for ridicule that came with the rest of your post. Really made me feel special.

Fair point, though I'm thinking more of the employment situation amongst graduates in the UK. Admittedly, it's improving (albeit excrutiatingly slowly, though some may even argue this), but it's in part due to the prevalence of graduates who have degrees in... non-subjects (to put it lightly, and I'll probably get some flak for writing that).

I suppose I've /facepalmed because that rather ruins one's definition of 'average graduate'...

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I'd say I range in IQ somewhere between 120 and 130, but I'm not a big fan of IQ tests.

As we all know, there's different types of intelligence, ranging from booksmarts to street smarts, and it really depends on the environment that you happen to be in at the time. Granted, a smart enough person with book smarts would be able to better survive in a jungle that they've never been to before that someone of average or below average intelligence, assuming that they are adaptable enough to fit the situation.

I've met plenty of classically "smart" people that haven't amounted to much more than a bookstore manager, living on the street, droping out of highschool and playing WoW all day, and things of that nature.

On the other hand, I've met people that are probably average intelligence that just have a business sense that helped them to get ahead in the world. My mom was a prime example of that. She had no college education, had dropped out of highschool, but earned her GED, but just had a knack for dealing with people, and because of that, she was fairly successful in the business world.

It's not so much intelligence that impresses me, it's the ability to apply it and adapt it when needed. That's the mark of an intelligent person, at least, it is in my opinion.

 

[Erana]

Then again, The Escapist might be a breeding ground for super-geniuses; you never know...

Stomping ground for now. The last well-known inter-Escapist breeding ended in tragedy.

Personally? I'm certain I'm more intelligent than average, but probably not genius. My real strength is in my talent and intuition.
Thanks, mom.

 

[Da Orky Man]

You do know that the standard IQ test only goes up to 160? And that I believe only Stephan Fry has that level. With Hawking at about 158.

Stephen Fry is not the smartest person ever, not would he claim to be so. I don't know where you got that from.

I think, and don't quote me on this, that there are two types of IQ test- one that, like you said, goes up to 160 and another that has no upper limit. I think the highest ever was MArilyn vos Savant, who got 225 or something like that.

You may well be right with the other higher-scored IQ test.
The figures are from the MENSA website. Fry may not be the smartest person ever, but he's amongst them.

 

[Togs]

My IQ is 126, 3 or 4 points above the average for my generation and socio economic background- Im no smarter than most of my peers, but Ive got one or 2 aspie like traits that push me a little higher- namely a powerful memory and an obsession with knowing stuff.

 

[Gaiseric]

Never taken an IQ test before so...yeah.

On the standardized testing in Jr/High School I got above average or proficient scores.

I didn't apply myself fully to academics most of the time and it has shown. However smart I may or may not be, I am limited by my lack of motivation/drive and bad study habits(meaning I don't have any). I remember my Geometry teacher saying that I'm what he calls a "sleeper" which he meant as that I am quiet and can do very well if I worked at it. And my Government teacher said something similar and that I'd do best if I put myself in a challenging scenario.

 

[martin's a madman]

Well, with a poll of the escapist, you may very well have a collection of people who are above average. I mean, as a community, we're certainly pretentious enough : D



Also, IQ tests are absolute nonsense; Richard Feynman scored 125. That in itself is proof they are crap at measuring intelligence.

 

[Hugga_Bear]

I have an IQ of 174 so I am actualy very far above average. Yay me!

You do know that the standard IQ test only goes up to 160? And that I believe only Stephan Fry has that level. With Hawking at about 158.

Which is why you have specialised IQ tests for higher intellects... Stephen Fry is exceptionally knowledgeable which is unimportant for IQ tests which tend to revolve around logic, quick maths and reasoning skills. Similarly while Hawking would dump all over me in terms of physics, maths and likely engineering that doesn't mean he's going to have a higher IQ. This is more apparent with people like Hawking who have extremely specialised knowledge. There's no doubting their brilliance but they may not necessarily score extremely highly, that's where IQ tests seem to fall down the most.

My IQ tends to be around 180-190, it varies which is normal. My tests display consistently high knowledge and I'm generally considered to be the go to guy amongst family and friends for anything intellectual, regardless of it's subject.
That's not because I'm smart, it's because I understand things. I think there's a big difference between being smart and understanding. I have a huge level of understanding which seems to stem from two things, I can compartmentalise extremely well which allows for detachment from scenarios even when they're emotionally charged and I tend not to stop thinking about things. The latter means I will sit there thinking about stones because the stones are there, their relation to the world, what they're made of and so on. If I don't know, I want to.

That's what makes me 'smart'. The ability to detach from situations, a mind which doesn't shut off and a general desire to learn about everything and anything.

What that means is nothing. Being smart is relatively useless. While most people come to me for advice or help it's not like I'm saving the world or even lives, I'm just passing on advice and knowledge. Applying those smarts is something a thousand times more important than having them and is what makes Hawking great. (Stephen Fry is great for being Stephen Fry. He needs no other reason.)

By the by this post will likely come across as up myself, douchey or annoying. I apologise for that but I've found no way of saying you're smart without sounding like a narcissistic ass. That in itself is pretty interesting and speaks volumes about society. So does the strange assumption that anyone who says they are smart is lying. Many may well be, this is after all the internet. I'd wager a good number aren't though. I always find it weird that saying I'm very strong and physically highly fit is acceptable and normally sparks a conversation here or there. Saying I'm smart makes you an ass. Curious indeed.

 

[electric_warrior]

You may well be right with the other higher-scored IQ test.
The figures are from the MENSA website. Fry may not be the smartest person ever, but he's amongst them.

Really? Yes, he's a very bright guy and definitely a genius, but I do find it a little hard to believe that he's amongst the most intelligent people ever. What are the actual figures and do you have a link?

 

[karloss01]

according to exam results back in high school, i'm average but out of my friends i've done the least in stupid shit so i would say i'm wise/sensible then most people.

 

[GodofDisaster]

I have an IQ of 118 but that was just from an Internet test, I've never done a real one.

Also I like to think my intelligence is above average, I've been told I'm smarter than I let on but I'm just really lazy.